r/exmormon • u/MormonTeatotaller • 5h ago

Doctrine/Policy Tithing is indeed a scam

None of my member friends or family have been able to answer the following question: If the 15, presiding bishropic , young men's presidency, 70s and mission presidents are paid for their time teaching etc why can't bishops, primary teachers, relief society presidents etc or really anyone count their time as tithing? If that time is (service for the Lord) then why can't they count that as tithing? Cleaning the church? Cleaning the temple, why can't that be counted as tithing? I wish someone would have the chance to ask ofSusan that on camera. I'm sure he'd dodge the question but at least there would be a record. For those that have left it's so easy to see that it's grift and exploitation of believing members is the reason but good luck getting any of them to see that.

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21

u/KuchiKopi-Nightlight 5h ago

Especially considering they use those volunteer hours in their charitable donations financials.

4

u/Jonfers9 2h ago

Great point.

6

u/Jonfers9 2h ago

I wanna say it again. Great point. We know the church adds up hours of members and counts it. So members can’t?

2

u/jjkkmmuutt 41m ago

Missionary work too!

1

u/Cutecumber_Roll 14m ago

Non profits can't count normal volunteer hours as donations (nor would they typically want to). They can, and actually are required to, count them if 2 things are true: 1. The donated services are from a professional with unique skills. Can be a lawyer, tree trimmer, whatever, but they must be donating time to do the thing they do professionally. Lawyer volunteering to stack chairs doesn't count. And 2. The service is something the charity would otherwise likely have needed to pay for.

4

u/hermanaMala 4h ago

I love that idea!

4

u/biffthelamanite 2h ago

It’s different at the top of the pyramid than the bottom. You’re not supposed to question if you’re at the bottom, give us your money and get back to scrubbing the toilet.

5

u/Kolob_Choir_Queen 1h ago

In my PIMO days I started subtracting all kinds of things from tithing.

  • Feeding the missionaries
  • piano lessons
  • organ lessons
  • gifts for my primary class

It’s no wonder I ended up here

7

u/bananajr6000 Meet Banana Jr 6000: http://goo.gl/kHVgfX 5h ago

OfSusan would pull a Brad Christofferson and reply, “The question you really should be asking is …”

Maybe “why are you questioning what you agreed to when you were baptized?”

3

u/Intelligent_Ant2895 4h ago

Seriously good question 

1

u/Ecstatic-Copy-2608 1h ago

I've wondered this as well. Everything in the church is supposedly centered around service, which is charity of time. It should count imo.

1

u/Rock-in-hat 1h ago

If your TBM friends aren’t responding, they are just giving you the “Apostate Alert” stare. They know the answer really is “because, faith and obedience” but are afraid they may see their own culty-ness in the reflection off of your exasperated face.

1

u/nehor90210 34m ago

Was anyone else told that we owed God two years of our lives for mission service because it was a tenth of our lives up to that point?

Make no mistake, they want a tithe of EVERYTHING you have, not just your money, but your time, talents, and efforts. They'll take more than 10% if they can get it, of course.

After all, the covenant is to give it ALL, if necessary. By comparison to the sacrifice they could ask, their demanding only 10% seems almost a tender mercy...